When Disney announced their plans to expand theStar Warsuniverse, few of their choices – like givingBoba Fett his own series– came as much surprise. Beyond the obvious ones, there exist countless strong characters – both canon and legend – that deserve the chance to stand on their own.
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While some exist in unexplored times of the Star Wars saga, and others are underused fan favorites, the galaxy far, far away offers a bevy of interesting characters that need more screen time.
Jedi Lore Hunter: Lor San Tekka
The death of Lor San Tekka at the hands of Kylo Ren at the beginning ofThe Force Awakenscries out for television series to tell San Tekka’s backstory. His history as a keeper of Jedi lore during the Galactic Empire’s rule could make for a fantastic tale of discovery, secrecy, and spirituality spread across the universe.
While San Tekka has had a few appearances in games and comics, it’s not enough. Sets of ruined Jedi temples, filled with hidden artifacts and precious scrolls of Jedi teachings, are too tempting not to explore on screen.
Game On: Cal Kestis
Fans of the gameJedi: Fallen Orderwill be familiar with Cal Kestis’s story, but it’s worth expanding to wider audiences. Transporting Kestis to film or TV means they could re-explore the chaotic events around Order 66 and the efforts of the Jedi to protect as much as they could from the Empire. It’s a time in theStar Warsuniverse audiences would like to see more of.
Kestis’s story is also chock-full of fascinating universe locations offering visuals that broader audiences crave, like the Origin Tree on the Wookiee homeworld, and the ruins on Zeffo.
More Baddies in Black Cloaks: The Knights of Ren
While Kylo Ren, the so-named leader of the Knights of Ren, has played a big part in theStar Warssaga, the audience has been treated to very little about the knights themselves. More force-wielding knights draped in dark clothing and with personalized weapons specializations could offer a lot to an audience.
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Sith-adjacent, the Knights of Ren are a very attractive gang of brutal and devoted antiheroes. Plus, their order dates back centuries, so there are hundreds of years of stories from the Dark Side that could be told.
A Madwoman and Her Castle: Maz Kanata
There is almost no other character that demands more attention than Maz Kanata and her enigmatic castle on Takodana. Like Mos Eisley, Maz’s castle holds a motley crew of all sorts that she seems to have collected. The number of stories there is almost unlimited.
Even more exciting is her unexplored connection to the Skywalker saga. How did she get Anakin and Luke’s lightsaber? What other treasures is she hiding in her storerooms? The intriguing possibilities make Maz an ideal candidate for her own full-length TV series.
The Girl With Everything: Mara Jade
It’s understandable that Disney hasn’t wanted to bring Mara Jade from legend into the canon, but they really need to. Jade is a complex character with all the skills to make for some great stories. A series centered around her smuggling career could be a great watch.
If they don’t want to honor the comic book marriage between Jade and Luke, the super-smart brains in the writers' room could figure out a workaround. Even with all the baggage, Mara Jade is a fan favorite that deserves screen time.
An Ancient Dark Becomes Light: Darth Revan
Darth Revan has a long legend history, but his canon existence is limited to a deleted scene ofStar Wars: The Clone Wars,and that’s a pity. Originally a trained Jedi, he was converted to the Dark Side before doing an about-face and helping destroy the leader of the True Sith. A non-canon favorite,Darth Revan even has a popular figurine available.
Star Warsneeds to diversify with new storytelling opportunities away from the Skywalker saga, and Revan offers all that and a Mandalorian angle. With such a rich story arc, he has excellent potential for new cinematic adventures.
The Guys In Red: Palpatine’s Royal Guards
There are almost no characters more eye-catching and mysterious inStar Warsthan the Emperor’s Royal Guards. WhileStar Wars: Rebelsgave audiences the opportunity to see the elite warriors in action, a bigger peek beneath the cloaks - like a movie about the origins of the guards - would be captivating.
The only thing Disney needs to do is make sure they don’t include Tag and Bink, the two very non-canon guards that were featured in a few comic issues by Kevin Rubio.
More Lando Means More Love: Lando Calrissian
While admittedly Lando has appeared in severalStar Warsfilms, he still needs his own movie, if not an entire series. So far, audiences have been given only glimpses into the sneaky and seductive life of Lando. They need to be treated to the full experience.
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There’s strong story potential in learning what influenced young Lando to develop into the self-interested and intriguing man we see later. Who wouldn’t want to watch the dashing and undiscriminating lothario making his movies around the galaxy?
Code Name: Starkiller
Starkiller, real name Galen Marek, is a legendary character that has so much potential for expanding the franchise in a Darth Vader direction. Starkiller’s apprenticeship and later rejection of the Sith Lord would give audiences a chance to get more screen time with the beloved bad guy that didn’t involve another Skywalker.
Starkiller’s story would also do well as aStar Warsespionage-type film. Audiences could sink their teeth into exploring how commitment to the Dark Side makes trust and fidelity a difficult thing to come by.
A True Believer: Chirrut Ȋmwe
If theStar Warssaga stands for anything it stands for hope. There is hardly a more hopeful character than Chirrut Ȋmwe as a principled believer pursuing truth even in the face of enormous obstacles.
Even if we already know his ending story fromRogue One, there’s so much more hidden in his past that would make for a fantastic TV series. Watching Ȋmwe learn and fail and overcome is exactly the sort of direction Disney needs to take in future additions to the franchise.
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